Mayo Fangirl

Nope, not the condiment, but the clinic! This was bound to come up at some point, so I’ll just address it now: I am a fan of The Mayo Clinic. This applies to both weight management and health conditions.

I’ll get into why I love their diet shortly, but I wanted to share this video first, as it’s timely for the current holiday season. The ideas can be applied to other special occasions as well of course.

Tips for sticking to a holiday season health routine.
  • Choose a small plate to help with portion sizes.
  • Try to choose healthy options like fruits and vegetables where possible.
  • Consider sipping water, or slowing down your eating.
  • Try to find 150 minutes to exercise each week during the holiday season.
  • Don’t forget about adequate sleep, which aids in health and weight maintenance.

Great common sense tips, and you’ve likely considered them before. But reminders during the busy season are so helpful. These ideas are also part of the structure of the most successful diet I’ve ever used, so I encourage you to check it out! Literally, check it out from your library if money is an issue. If not, you can give their online program a try: https://diet.mayoclinic.org/us/

Note that, as always, this is not an affiliate link. I want you to know that when I make a suggestion, it’s because I’ve found something that works! You can feel confident that it is worth a try as the US News & World Report also rated it as the number one diet program in 2022.

Another option with Mayo is their bariatric centers. I live close enough to the Florida center to experience their program first hand. I think that there may be similar programs near you at your local hospital. One thing that makes these programs unique is that they look for medical reasons for your struggles with weight. Some may be unexpected, such as the vitamin B 12 deficiency I had. Many others are possible, like sleep apnea or hormonal issues. At many medical facilities, you will be able to work with health practitioners who can help you solve these problems. The great news is that most can be addressed and will help you on your weight maintenance journey.

I hope I’ve given you some good ideas on how to make progress if you were in a place where you need a bit of help. Always feel free to share your weight maintenance tips with me as well!

Help Is Available!

What happens when the scale doesn’t greet you with a victory every week? Each day is nearly the same – denying yourself the treats you long to eat but with no quantifiable progress. Does anyone mention that you are looking so much better at this point? When you try on new clothes, are you excited for those ever smaller sizes?

You may counter that there is a victory in maintenance, but it does not provide that same positive reinforcement we get from weight loss. What are some tools we can use to still get that great feedback that we may have been depending upon? How can we continue with the day -to-day sameness of maintenance?

Besides the physiological hindrances to maintenance, which will be subjects of future blog posts, there are considerable psychological obstacles to overcome. How can we best address the challenges that might hold us back from maintaining our healthy weight? My suggestion today is to seek professional help – and that help can be found by working with a professional dietician.

A registered dietician is a well educated medical practitioner who has specialized food and nutrition. Their goals are the same as ours – to improve our lives through healthier eating.

I have been meeting with a registered dietician for the past six months. It’s a great relationship that feels like a collaboration. She is there to support and guide me towards a healthier weight. I am able to ask questions and get feedback. She is able to show me her insight about what things might work best for me. I try to adopt her suggestions, but I know that if they don’t all work, she will have new ideas at our next appointment. She is an integral part of my success. So I will continue to see her for as long I feel the need for support…likely permanently.

Would you consider seeing a dietician? You may find one locally through your physician’s office, or perhaps at a nearby hospital that has a bariatrics program. A dietician can help with more than weight control – they can also work on planning a healthy eating program to address any medical conditions you may be facing.

Studies have shown that working with a dietician is more effective than going it on your own (1). The Cleveland Clinic suggests that beyond weight control and medical conditions, you also may want to see a dietician if you want to improve the quality of your food, help family members to eat healthier, or transition to a plant based diet (2).

If you’re facing challenges that are hard to meet on your own, why not give it a try?

(1). https://www.healthline.com/health-news/registered-dietitian-may-be-best-for-weight-loss

(2). https://health.clevelandclinic.org/8-reasons-to-see-a-dietitian/

Don’t Do What I Did!

Don’t do what I did – that is don’t wait for a medical emergency to maintain your healthy weight. Fear may be an effective motivator, but it is a dangerous one.

I’ve been successful at weight maintenance twice, and each time that success was partly due to medical issues. The first was after a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), also called a mini stroke. I maintained a 25 pound weight loss for nearly six years. This was helpful because I began my last diet with a distinct advantage: a lower weight as my starting point. This most recent diet was undertaken after breast cancer (correlated with overweight and obesity) and a caution from one of my doctors. She told me to get to a BMI of 25, or at least 27, or I’d become diabetic due to a strong family history.

So being slightly proactive, I followed her advice. I will save what I did as my program for a future post, as our topic is maintenance rather than dieting. Suffice it to say that it was extremely healthy and effective but slow.

As it turns out, maintaining that healthy weight is a more likely outcome if you are working towards health rather than strictly your own interpretation of appearance. I recently came across an intriguing study published in a peer reviewed journal. In “Health and Appearance Reasons for Weight Loss as Predictors of Long-Term Weight Change,” the authors uncovered a very interesting pattern in a study of middle aged, rural women: those who dieted because they were displeased with their appearance actually gained weight over the course of the 30 month weight loss program (1). Those in the program who identified the least with this concern lost the most. Their reasons for weight loss and maintenance revolve around health and their concern for what others thought about their weight.

Authors Joseph E. Mroz, Carol H. Pullen, and Patricia A. Hageman found that these women lost and maintained that loss of about 5% of their starting weight, which is statistically significant. In fact, it was more successful than some diet pills and most diet supplements (2). For example, in an over-the-counter drug Alli (there is also a prescription version) study, only 40% of the study participants lost 5% or more of their body weight (3). A prescription pill that I tried (and gained weight using), Plenity, resulted in 60% of patients losing at least 5% of their body weight, however the study was for just 24 weeks (4). As we are all aware, the more difficult part is maintenance and very few diet pills or programs have conducted long-term studies, such as the 30 month study mentioned above.

I had a mini stroke at age 54 even though I had recently lost 25 pounds on the Atkins Diet. I was also exercising at that time and seemed to be in better health. So why would this happen? The doctors found no cause. Looking back, I was doing a number of unhealthy things, including drinking absurd amounts of diet soda, having too much caffeine, and was in a stressful situation with some caretaking of an elderly relative. I do believe that ketogenic diets and artificial sweeteners are not healthy for me personally. It’s always wise to check with your physician to decide what type of diet would be healthiest for you!

Did you start your weight loss journey with a goal of better health, or was it based upon how you look in the mirror? You can’t change your original diet reasoning; however, you can consider the reasons why you are now maintaining your weight. Would you consider shifting your focus towards health? Try not to wait for that medical emergency. Don’t do what I did – be proactive and active in your weight maintenance journey!

(1). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6299317/#__ffn_sectitle

(2). https://today.oregonstate.edu/archives/2012/mar/study-most-weight-loss-supplements-are-not-effective

(3). https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/alli/art-20047908

(4). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30421844/

Exercise: Walking Overview

When I was on my weight loss journey, I became consistent with a few helpful habits. Perhaps only second to diet is the habit of exercise. I believe that to continue with maintenance success, physical activity is crucial. Is that your experience as well?

Exercise can take many forms, and it may be best if it’s something that you enjoy or provides additional, positive impacts on your life. My favorite example is walking our dogs. It checks off so many boxes!

  • Exercise for you
  • Exercise for the dogs
  • Fosters a stronger relationship with your pet
  • Gets you outdoors which is healthy
  • Helps with socialization – for both of you!
  • Can lead to more vigorous exercise, like jogging
  • Requires no special equipment or cost
  • Gives you quiet time – or time to listen to music, podcasts, etc.
  • Can be done at most levels of fitness

Starting with this post, I will share pertinent links to products and services I have used. However, there will be no affiliate links. I want you to know that there is no financial reason for me to suggest them. These are honest recommendations that you can count on.

Walking does have many benefits, and our bodies were well designed for this form of exercise (1). But at times, I need a little extra motivation. How about you? What can we do to get up and go? Here are a few ideas, all of which I’ve tried and found to be reputable:

  • 99Walks is a program with a great app and monthly prizes in the form of motivational bracelets. It’s not free, but it has so many features including classes that you can listen to as you walk or run. Plus bracelets! This is my current program. https://www.99walks.fit/
  • Yes.fit is a fun way to travel the world, history, and fantasy while you walk or run. You can earn shirts, medals, pins, and more as you check in to all sorts of interesting sites in their app. Not free, but cute swag! Used this program for many years and completed 25 of their races. https://yes.fit/races
  • Charity races – all kinds! I’ve done two different charity type races which I found on Facebook. I’m not a huge fan of these as I don’t like asking for money and also if you don’t research the organization, it might not be legit. But this might be right for you.
  • Run Across America has some fun themed runs that you can also walk of course. I’ve tried these twice. The first time I encountered some glitches, but they’ve really come a long way from those early days when their app was new. Great experience the second time! Nice participation souvenir type options. Again, not free. https://nationwiderun.org/
  • Zombies, Run is such a fun way to add running (or a slow, crawling jog in my case) to your program. If you like storytelling and a little scare to get you moving, it’s worth a try. And there is a free version to get you started on a thrilling adventure! https://www.zombierun.com/
  • Other, in person, road races might be a good option as well. I’ve done a couple of these, and they can be exhilarating. However, they are not my first choice because you must show up on a specific date, time, and location despite and personal circumstances or inclement weather. On a personal note, I once sustained an injury because of being pushed to jog at a time when I was not prepared. So be sure that exuberant participants or time rules don’t end up sidelining you! Often a local running shoe store will have info on this type of race.

Whatever type of exercise you choose, the most important thing is that you do it. I hope you find an activity that you truly enjoy to help with your weight management journey.

(1). https://mirm-pitt.net/walking-its-in-your-genes/

Perspectives on Appearance

A Lensa created AI image at left, and one of the photos the app used at right – blurring the lines of reality and fiction in our social media lives. Note that many of the photos were taken pre-diet, so the slimming effect is actually more significant than shown here. The ageism is also quite obvious.

Is this a little off topic, or our eating disorders built upon the foundation of things such as this? I am referring to the new artificial intelligence app called Lensa. My Facebook feed is positively inundated with these images, which are attractive, but unattainable in reality. How do contrived images as these affect our perceptions of self and our weight maintenance? Do they inspire us to try harder, or discourage us enough to give up in disgust?

I recently came across an article in The Guardian (albeit not the most objective source) that is quite thought provoking (1). It claims that these portraits are misogynistic, and they make a good point. However, it’s not the only problem with these images. Yes, they are beautiful, but it’s a kind of false beauty that can rarely if ever be achieved by ordinary folk. Can they be used in a constructive way for weight maintenance? Or are they encouraging unhealthy attitudes?

Laura Wheatman Hill recently wrote a piece for Insider where she explains that Lensa can be a trigger (2). If you have a history of body dysmorphia, it can bring up feelings that are not constructive. Does Lensa only affect those with disorders, or can it influence all of us? How can we minimize the negative impact of these images?

First, we know they are fake, while our own imperfect bodies and faces are our reality. They are fantasy, but dreaming up such imagery is not solving any real life problems. Can it be a benign pastime? Or does objectifying the female form cause more harm than good?

Second, we might not want to plaster them all over social media. Does this activity support others? Is it healthy? What does it promote?

Finally, turn the page. Yes, I need to turn the page and not give this app more attention than it deserves! Staying on target is a key to maintaining a healthy body and mindset.

(1). https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/09/lensa-ai-portraits-misogyny?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3q4-3hXICPpbBDZboNhFrwlGGpdusHLy_cK0C05Dv5F58JsHvw1YBdHsY&mibextid=Zxz2cZ#Echobox=1670582067

(2). https://www.insider.com/woman-with-disordered-body-image-tried-lensa-app-2022-12?amp

Problem Solving

I have recently begun a new journey, but not the weight loss journey that 45 million Americans embark upon annually (1). For my journey, there are few guidebooks, maps, or reviews from those who have gone before me. Yet, it is to a place where most of us long to be. Where do you go when you’ve achieved your goal of a healthy weight? To the seemingly undiscovered land of weight maintenance!

Yes, we have arrived, but now what? There are:

  1. A meager handful of books on the topic, none of which truly apply to me or the average former dieter.
  2. Few Facebook groups, and all of them are either inactive or not truly for maintenance (they are for the dieting phase).
  3. Scarce online resources that are useful and factual, and no real organization or aggregation of them which would be convenient to use.

Rather than lament the challenges of this rest-of-my-life phase, my aim is to provide a solution to the problem. Here in this blog, I hope we can all find the tools to thrive and even enjoy this uncharted journey. Let’s succeed where 80% of dieters fail (2). Let’s maintain our healthy weight!

(1.) https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/03/25/980177787/when-your-fad-diet-fails-and-it-probably-will-just-eat

(2.) https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/82/1/222S/4863393